Matt 7:23
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
What does this mean ? Why did Jesus tell these people that He never knew them ? Lets understand something here, the word know here denotes something greater than just merely knowing all the facts about someone of something, like men can have a great deal of knowledge and facts about spiritual truth, and many times.even the Gospel itself can be known somewhat factually, like perhaps these did know 2 Pet 2:20-21
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
Albeit, the Gospel in those days would not have been diluted as it is now a days. Yet man can come to know the facts of 1 Cor 15:3-4 backwards and forwards, can learn and know quite well the greek and hebrew in a given passage, perhaps be an expert in those ancient languages, all the historical background of a given passage, and yet still not know the Gospel in its Divine origin and Power and Blessing and Experience; For you see there is a certain experimental knowledge and intimacy in knowing someone or something as well, and when the word knew is used by the Blessed Saviour in Matt 7:23
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
For Christ did know all about these people, and was even quite acquainted with all their ways, in fact He would be the one Judging them in the last day, knowing even the secret of their hearts;
However when Jesus said to them that He never knew them, He means they were never in a intimate relationship with Him, a Union with Him, in fact it was in the same light as when it said that Adam Knew His Wife Eve Gen 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
And thats what Jesus means here, He never knew those people as He knew intimately His Wife, whom the Father had bethrotted to Him before the ages, He knew them not as His Wife or Bride the Church,which He Loved and gave Himself for Eph 5:25
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Jesus was One Flesh with His Wife, the Church. The Church is the Lambs Wife Rev 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Jesus,despite of all their religious works Matt 7:22 even done sincerely in His Name, He never knew them Intimately, in a relationship, as His Wife ! And thats whom He specifically died forEph 5:25 !
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
What does this mean ? Why did Jesus tell these people that He never knew them ? Lets understand something here, the word know here denotes something greater than just merely knowing all the facts about someone of something, like men can have a great deal of knowledge and facts about spiritual truth, and many times.even the Gospel itself can be known somewhat factually, like perhaps these did know 2 Pet 2:20-21
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
Albeit, the Gospel in those days would not have been diluted as it is now a days. Yet man can come to know the facts of 1 Cor 15:3-4 backwards and forwards, can learn and know quite well the greek and hebrew in a given passage, perhaps be an expert in those ancient languages, all the historical background of a given passage, and yet still not know the Gospel in its Divine origin and Power and Blessing and Experience; For you see there is a certain experimental knowledge and intimacy in knowing someone or something as well, and when the word knew is used by the Blessed Saviour in Matt 7:23
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
For Christ did know all about these people, and was even quite acquainted with all their ways, in fact He would be the one Judging them in the last day, knowing even the secret of their hearts;
However when Jesus said to them that He never knew them, He means they were never in a intimate relationship with Him, a Union with Him, in fact it was in the same light as when it said that Adam Knew His Wife Eve Gen 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
And thats what Jesus means here, He never knew those people as He knew intimately His Wife, whom the Father had bethrotted to Him before the ages, He knew them not as His Wife or Bride the Church,which He Loved and gave Himself for Eph 5:25
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Jesus was One Flesh with His Wife, the Church. The Church is the Lambs Wife Rev 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Jesus,despite of all their religious works Matt 7:22 even done sincerely in His Name, He never knew them Intimately, in a relationship, as His Wife ! And thats whom He specifically died forEph 5:25 !